News & Public Notices

Waterford Triangle

Background: The area is considered old and tired, and I understand the City has undergone consultation to rejuvenate the area.

Please attribute the information below to City of South Perth Mayor, James Best:

The Waterford Triangle is a triangular shaped area of the City in Manning Ward, where GHD consultants are currently conducting a survey to examine a range of possible future development options for the land. The study area is bounded by Manning Road, Conlon Street and McKay Street, Waterford.

During the study GHD will be working closely with landowners and other stakeholders, before presenting recommendations to the City. A community forum was held in April to capture existing resident’s priorities for the area.

1) Will development zoning be increased? If so, will this bring an influx of students into the area?
That is yet to be determined. Any potential design options for Waterford Triangle will need to be assessed by the community and align with their priorities for urban design changes in the study area.

The area is close to Curtin University, schools and Tafe centres, for this reason there is already a substantial student population.

The existing low density housing is under pressure due to a high demand for student housing.

Currently, due to the R20 density coding and the prevailing lot sizes this locality can only support single houses.

2) What kind of rejuvenation does the area require?
There are a number of potential areas for improvement indentified as priorities by the community, such as improved pathways, development potential, improved streetscapes, and upgraded lighting in public areas.

3) Is student safety an issue? Do public amenities need improving?
For residents of the Waterford Triangle, safety and security were identified as high priorities.

However, official crime reports do not indicate the Waterford Triangle is any more prone to criminal activity than anywhere else in the City. Any redevelopments will be designed to consider public safety a priority.

4) If there is an influx of student accommodation, will this create uncertainty for potential buyers?
No, potential buyers have no reason to be deterred. Stakeholders were asked to consider the best proportionate mixture of students and other resident groups, and the City aims to deliver a balanced outcome for long-term and short term residents through planning controls and urban
design.

5) What is the long-term vision of the area?
Community input has generated the concepts for the next phase of the study and once complete the long-term vision of the area will be determined by that consultation.

Preliminary feedback indicates people value the open spaces, proximity to facilities and amenities and would like to maintain a balance of owner-residents and tenant housing types.

6) When will the consultation conclude? Will the community be consulted on any potential changes?
Consultation is expected to conclude in late winter this year. The community will be consulted at each stage of the study.

Following the community forum in April, GHD is currently working on a number of potential design options for consideration by the community, which will be assessed against the main priorities for the triangle identified by residents.

The principal objective of this study is to engage the community and surrounding stakeholders in the development of an area strategy and urban design review to guide the future planning and development of this area. The City of South Perth wishes to develop an understanding of the needs and aspirations of the community in this area.